Busan is South Korea’s second largest city, located on its southeastern coast. Its logo tag name is ‘Dynamic Busan, City of Tomorrow’. It is also the city where Jane Re’s mother lived as a young child. Many South Koreans feel that the appeal of Busan – indeed, a reason to prefer it over Seoul – comes not from what it offers as a city of tomorrow, but what it offers as a city of yesterday. Busan is a rare piece of territory not captured by the Northern army during the Korean War. Busan came through the 1950s intact, serving during wartime as the capital of the Republic of Korea. The city incurred far less involuntary demolition in that era, so has endured a less thoroughgoing redevelopment since. If you are seeking ‘old’ urban South Korea, you’ll find it here. Most of Busan developed during and just after the war, when the relative safety of Busan made it the prime destination for refugees who proceeded to make for the hills to build makeshift homes anywhere and any way they could. This was the experience of Jane Re’s family.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jul/18/busan-south-korea-city-of...

Park, Patricia, Re Jane. Penguin Books, 2015.